How to check a propane tank for leaks?

"Gunner" wrote: (clip) on the side of it..someone had painted with a rattle can..leeks. (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Maybe it contains leeks. They would not normally build up much pressure, unless they start fermenting.

See if it holds a vacuum. Requires a vacuum pump and gage.

Looks like

dennis in nca

The leak is probably in the valve stem--open valve till it back-seats to cure that--or--you may have a scratched valve seat where the hose fitting attaches. Jerry

You won't need much propane to pressurize it. I would just attach it to another propane tank & fill it with *gas*. I.e., don't use any liquid propane. You'll need very little this way and you can still do the leak test.

If you do pressurize with air, it will have to be bled off during the refill.

Bob

There is an exemption for industrial/commercial/"?" propane use.

Why screw with it? just get the tank hydro-tested.

That will work fine, and it will easily take 125 PSI if you want - propane gets over 200 PSI when it's hot. But using air means you have to purge the air when you fill the tank.

Make a cross-fill hose and pressurize with gaseous propane only, not liquid. That will allow you to bubble-test the valves and see where the leeks (SIC) are, and you can do a simple leakdown test as long as the temperature is accounted for, but you don't waste a lot of propane when changing the bad valve.

If you feel lucky, you an leak check with a match...

If it's just the valve packing or seals you'll have to go schmooze the local propane service company - they'll have the replacement pieces, but getting them directly is likely to be a big hassle. I needed a replacement back gasket for a Visible Junior float gauge on a

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I doubt at any pressure above 1 psi that would be an issue.

Wes S

Yeah, unless it was a tiny-bubble class leak it would probably be moving too fast to light coming out the leak site before it mixed and slowed down and then got too dilute to light.

High velocity would also blow out the match.

(But a blowtorch effect would be cool. "Oh, there's the leak...")

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Magic!

I'd fill it with a little and set it out in the sun - it will auto pressure and propane maintains a constant type - since the vapor is pushed back to liquid.

If you have a leak it will be obvious soon - the smell and the soap is best.

It might be a joint but then someone might have dropped it.

Martin

Martin H. Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH & Endowment Member NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member

Gunner wrote:

Woooo Gunner - what your describing is quite correct - pump it up, check for leaks with soap and watter (put a bit of Glycerine in there as well, increases surface tension of the bubbles..)

BUT - dont know what the regulations there are, but here in Oz there is a mandatory test on these things every five years, the test date is stamped into the collar, and its illegal to refill one thats out of test.

Why? - it might look fine on the outside, but they can rust from the INSIDE. Inspection shoves a camera down there, has a look. They also water pressurise them to some factor greater than rated pressure.

Here, it costs about $20 to get it done. Cheap insurance - maybe someone in your state does it, dont know. But worthwhile - they can be deadly things if a leak catches fire.....

(And , sorry mate, but I cant resist this one for a Winger - maybe you have the right to blow yourself up, so mandatory testing is not required...)

Andrew VK3BFA.

PS - know one guy personally who got blown up by a leaking valve (filled a bottle, put it in the back of his car. On the way home that night, lit a ciggy, and BOOM - 6 months in hospital, he is still stuffed, years after. The silly thing was he did this at work -and right next to the bulk refill cyclinders was a huge drum of water, you were supposed to submerge the bottle after filling to check for leaks....he didnt want to get the back of his car wet, so did not bother....)

Its probably the gaskets where you connect the hose that are leaking.

I have to replace a couple of gaskets in my tanks because they leak a little. The square rubber seals get hard and dont seal properly.

John

We use converted forklift h/v tanks all the time as portable air tanks. We pressurize them to 90+ lbs from the shop compressor. We have converted them so the inlet is connected to the valve and the normal outlet has been replaced with one of those self-coiling hoses with a quick-release. You just hook them up to the shop air through the hose to the valve, open the valve, fill the tank, close the valve, and disconnect it. Holds enough air for a cutoff tool to run for about

Disclaimer: The shop teacher of many years has been using the tanks this way for many years, I'm just describing their use. If someone thinks this isn't smart, let me know but don't kill the messenger.

ww88

Gunner wrote:

Both my propane tanks are aluminum. Last time I had a bottle hydro'd, it was a 20lb CO2 tank for the Mig, once resembling one that may once have had a Pepsi logo on it before it found its way to the swap meet....

And they charged me $45 to hydro it.

Ill stick a half gallon in it and set it out in the sun.

Gunner

"A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences."

- Proverbs 22:3

I bought some stuff from a forklift shop Thursday for one of my customers and the guy gave me a couple of those square o-rings. If the tank leaks only when hooked up..Ill change em

Gunner

"A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences."

- Proverbs 22:3

EGAD! You're going to the /wrong/ place to get a Hydro done - they probably don't have their own machine, and you paid the markup and the labor to run it over to someplace else that does them.

Next time you swing through the Van Nuys City Hall area, drop by Pioneer Fire Protection at 14819 Calvert and tell them I sent you.

They have their own hydrotest tank, and when I had two Amerex

And very reasonable on new Amerex products also.

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F****ng Praxair. I hate both the local outlet and the main company. Total rip off from start to finish. And locally, most folks have no other choices..so they stick it to the customer..dry, no lube...no reach around either.

Thanks! Saved to my pda!

Gunner

"A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences."

- Proverbs 22:3